The Journal of the American Heart Association reports that women who make a regular habit of going for brisk walks are less likely to have a stroke than women who don't. Women who walk have better cardiovascular health, and are less vulnerable to cardiovascular disease.

If you're not sure whether your pace would be considered brisk or not, you can use a heart rate monitor, or Jacob R. Sattelmair, M.Sc.,at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, also recommends a more basic test.

If you can talk, but not sing, then you are walking at a brisk pace. If you can sing, you're not going fast enough. If you can't talk, you need to slow down a bit.

"The American Heart Association recommends for substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity or a combination."

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